On December 4, 2023, the British government introduced the Animal Welfare (Live Exports) Bill. The bill provides that animals may no longer be transported for slaughter or for fattening for slaughter. Thus, animals for food must be slaughtered domestically in British slaughterhouses. The government made a commitment in its manifesto to end long journeys for animals for slaughter and fattening. This commitment was repeated in the government’s Action Plan for Animals. The bill, which covers only the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening, was introduced following a consultation on improvements to animal transport, in which 87% of respondents agreed that the export of live animals for slaughter was unnecessary.
The bill would prohibit the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, wild boar, goats, and equine animals from Great Britain to European Union (EU) member states or other third countries for slaughter or fattening for slaughter. It would provide the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs with the power to make regulations for the enforcement of the bill. These regulations could include powers of entry, inspection, search, seizure or detention, the creation of additional criminal offenses, and civil sanctions. Offenses under this bill would be punishable with imprisonment for up to six months or a fine, or both penalties.
This bill could be introduced only after the United Kingdom left the EU due to the free trade rules, which prohibited a ban on exporting live animals to other EU member states. Current rules for animal welfare during transportation are derived from EU law and contained in the retained EU Regulation No. 1/2005. In the consultation, the government expressed concern that the current requirements for animal transportation “do not reflect the latest scientific evidence on how best to protect animal welfare during transport.”
The government tried to introduce a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter in 2021, with a prohibition contained in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill in June 2021, but withdrew the bill on June 8, 2023. The government then decided to introduce a single-issue bill to address banning the export of live animals for slaughter.
Clare Feikert-Ahalt, Law Library of Congress
February 15, 2024
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